CIF-STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nailea Fields (Caruthers-CE) - The junior uncorked a huge lifetime best of 162-7 two weeks ago to claim the CIF-CS Division 4 title, moving onto the national stage with the seventh-best effort in the United States. With four other performances out over 145-feet, she has been the most consistent.
Feyi Olukanni (Clovis East-CE) - Headed off to compete AT UC-San Diego this Fall, the senior captured the Central Masters Meet last week in this same ring at 152-11. The only one in the field with three 150+ foot efforts this season, the State Title will go through the Central Section as her 153-7 came at the West Coast Relays.
April Fontenette (Notre Dame, SO) - Consistently hovering in the 140-145 foot range all season long, the senior measured out to 150-10 two weeks ago to capture the CIF-SS Division 3 title. She placed second at the Southern Section Masters Meet last week (139-3).
Kennedy Clarke (Cathedral Catholic-SD) Coming into the season with a 116-1 lifetime best, the junior is one of the most improved in California. Her seasonal best came two weeks ago at 147-9, before capturing the CIF-SDS Division 2 title last week with a 133-2 effort.
Karyssa Owens (Roosevelt-SS) - Consistently in the 130-foot range all season, the senior checks in with a seasonal best of 140-7. She placed third at the Southern Section Masters Meet (136-8) last weekend while also claiming the CIF-SS Division 1 title the previous week.
Taylor Hofland (Los Alamitos-SS) - With THE step-up performance in the state last week, the junior's 139-7 performance was a 12-foot improvement upon her previous best as she posted the top mark at the Southern Section Masters Meet. She was runner-up the week before (126-6) in the CIF-SS Division 1 final.
Galadriel Mellion (Weston Ranch-SJ) - Perhaps a sleeper on paper with her 137-6 seasonal best, the junior is actually the most experienced and decorated. Equipped with a lifetime best of 160-11 lifetime best from 2021, injuries cut her season short last year while she finds her way back as 'the underdog' this weekend.
Sariyah Horne (El Camino-SJ) - The senior comes in, just off her lifetime best of 136-4. Earning the silver at last weekend's Sac-Joaquin Masters Meet, she also placed second at the CIF-SJ Division 3 finals the week prior.
Kennedy Clarke (Cathedral Catholic-SD) - Looking to earn
valuable team points, the junior owns the top mark in California at 47-5. One of the top underclassmen in the nation, she
puts her undefeated streak on the line. Her 42-0 was the top mark at last weekend's San Diego Section
Finals.
Hope Gordon (Notre Dame, SO-SS) - The senior has been as consistent as anybody in the field, she captured the CIF-SS Division 3 title two weeks ago, after unleashing her 45-4.5 seasonal best the previous week. Gordon placed second at last week's Southern Section Masters Meet (43-3.5).
Feyi Olukanni (Clovis East-CE) - The senior has been on a roll, returning back to the same ring where she captured the Central Section Masters Meet last week, measuring out to 45-5. Her lifetime best sits at 45-5.5 as she also earned the gold medal in the CIF-CS Division 1 final two weeks ago.
Aja Johnson (Notre Dame, SO-SS) - With a 43-6 seasonal best, Johnson sits second in the nation for all freshmen. Going into the postseason with only a 38-8.5 best, she pulled the upset last week in capturing the Southern Section Masters Meet.
Galadriel Mellion (Weston Ranch-SJ) - Like the case in the Discus, the junior comes in with credentials that far surpass her 2022 stats. She looks to replicate her lifetime best of 44-6.5 from 2021 while the multiple Junior Olympic medalist looks to own the rings this weekend. She was the Sac-Joaquin Champion last week.
April Fontenette (Notre Dame, SO-SS) - Part of the Notre Dame trio that looks to advance to Saturday's final, the junior steps in with a seasonal best of 42-2.5. She placed fourth at the Southern Section Masters Meet last week with a 40-11.5 effort.
Rebel Tuinuknafe (Orange Lutheran-SS) - At last weekend's Southern Section Masters Meet, the senior put out her lifetime best of 41-10 to place third to advance to this weekend. In the tough Division 3 of the CIF-SS, she was fourth the week before (40-1).
Nailea Fields (Caruthers-CE) - In this same ring, the junior revealed her best in placing second at the Central Section Masters Meet with a 41-7.75 best. The week prior, Fields captured the CIF-CS Division 4 title with a 40-9.5 performance.
Mi'ah Molette (Carson-LA) - The Los Angeles City Section champ checks in with a 41-5 seasonal best. The junior went into the postseason with a 39-8 best and now projects to be a contender for a spot on the awards stand.
The Southern Section boasts one of the top Discus classes in its history, witnessing six boys measure out beyond 188 feet in 2022. Headlining that group is Murrieta Mesa senior Cade Moran. Improving out almost 30 feet this season, he is second in the nation. Golden Valley's Terraine Wiggins has been on a roll the past two weeks while not much separates the rest of the talented field for those six coveted medals.
Cade Moran (Murrieta Mesa-SS) - Off to the University of Michigan this Fall, the senior has been undefeated for the past two months until placing second in last week's qualifying round at the Southern Section Masters Meet. With his 207-4 best from two weeks ago, he defended his CIF-SS Division 1 title two weeks ago at 201-4.
Brendon See (J Serra-SS) - The top junior in the nation launched his 197-11 seasonal best at the Arcadia Invite while he also captured the CIF-SS Division 3 title two weeks ago. While looking to regain that form we saw in early April, he has consistently measured out in the 180-185 foot range this past month.
Terraine Wiggins (Golden Valley-SS) - The senior captured the Southern Section Masters Meet with a lifetime best of 196-10 last weekend after measuring out to a 196-1 effort to capture the CIF-SS Division 2 title the week before. Heading into the postseason, his previous best was 186-2 in this same ring at the West Coast Relays.
Kai Deines (Redondo Union-SS) - Ranked second in the nation amongst juniors, he uncorked his 190-0 personal best at the Bay League Finals several weeks ago. With four efforts over 188-feet over the past five weeks, he was runner-up (188-4) to Moran at the CIF-SS Division 1 final and third at the Southern Section Masters Meet (188-3) last week.
Nick Godbehere (Shafter-CE) - Favored most likely to break up the CIF-SS monopoly here, the UC-Berkeley senior owns a best of 189-5 from five weeks ago. Since, he captured the CIF-CS Division 2 title (181-3) and in this same ring, captured the Central Section Masters Meet at 182-7 last week.
Nikolas Iwankiw (South Pasadena-SS) - With a seasonal best of 189-2 from two months ago, the senior has consistently hovered right around the 180-foot watermark all season long as he placed fifth at the Southern Section Masters Meet with a 180-8 effort. He will join Godbehere at UC Berkeley in the Fall.
Jordan Franco (Hesperia-SS) - The fastest riser of the state-wide charts, the senior went into the postseason with a 169-11 best. His runner-up 180-6 performance from the CIF-SS Division 2 final catapulted him to the Southern Section Masters Meet where he found yet, another gear, with his fourth-place, 188-3 effort.
The road to the State Title may just go through the Southwestern League where our top two Shot Putters hail from. Murrieta Mesa senior Cade Moran steps in with the top mark in California at 66-10. But, it was Great Oak senior, Aiden Pastorian, that stepped up for the upset two weeks ago with his 66-7 uncorking. Meanwhile, three others are eyeing their own upsets within this fraternity as they have measured out over 62-feet this Spring.
Cade Moran (Murrieta Mesa-SS) - The Michigan-bound senior owns a flawless resume, except for his runner-up placing in the CIF-SS Division 1 final. Fourth in the nation with his 66-10 performance at Arcadia, he steps in as the top seed on his 66-1 performance in winning the Southern Section Masters Meet last week. He has uncorked 63+ foot efforts in his past nine competitions.
Aiden Pastorian (Great Oak-SS) - His 66-7 behemoth throw was a huge step-up performance in capturing the CIF-SS Division 1 title two weeks ago as his previous best was 63-4.5. He placed third at the Southern Section Masters Meet last week with a 61-6.5 effort.
Kai Deines (Redondo Union-SS) - With a 63-5.25 seasonal best, the junior is one of the top underclassmen in the nation. He was third at the CIF-SS Division 1 final and fourth a week ago at the Southern Section Masters Meet with a 56-4 effort. He looks to return back into the 60-foot territory as he had several 59+ foot performances the past month.
Nick Godbehere (Shafter-CE) - Off to attend UC Berkeley this
Fall, his 63-4.25 lifetime best came in this same ring at the West Coast Relays. The senior has been undefeated this past
month, capturing the CIF-CS Div. 2 (59-10.75) title and the Central Section
Masters Title (57-6.75) last week.
Nikolas Iwankiw (South Pasadena-SS) - Teammates next year at UC Berkeley with Godbehere, the senior steps fresh off his runner-up effort and lifetime best of 62-11 from the Southern Section Masters Meet. The week prior, he captured the CIF-SS Division 3 title at 59-10.
Hawkin Miller (El Camino-SD) - The senior comes in as the San Diego Section Champion, with his 58-10.5 performance last week. Looking to break into the 60-foot club, he checks in with a 59-11.75 seasonal best from the Arcadia Invite.
Guillermo Lopez (Southwest-SD) - Coming into the postseason with a 57-7 best, the senior has improved, heaving a 59-11 at the Imperial Valley League Finals three weeks ago. Capturing the CIF-SDS Division 2 title last week, his 58-7 was runner-up to El Camino's Miller overall.
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Mark Gardner is a teacher, announcer, and former coach who is a regular contributor to MileSplit
Photos by DeAnna Turner, Daniel Hernandez, and Dan Tyree.